Music and Arts of the Movement
Hunter, Darcy, Cameron and Sidney

Louis Armstrong


Louis Armstrong had a lot of fame and power in the 40’s to 60’s and he could go where few other blacks could go. He also stood up for the black community and endorsed the civil rights movement. He was the first Negro to play at previously white stages and stay in big fancy white hotels. The people listened to him and were inspired by his words.



Bob Dylan


Bob Dylan played a very large part in influencing the civil rights movement because he was white and he was one of few to stand up for the black community and tell the white community about their struggles.


James Brown
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, James Brown was recognised for his work with racial activism. In 1966, he released the single "Don't Be a Drop-Out" as a lesson to young students who had thoughts of dropping out. He later made public speeches in front of dozens of children and advocated the importance of education in school.

Billie Holliday
Billie Holliday

Billie Holliday was an American jazz singer and songwriter.

According to Billie Holiday's own account, she was recruited by a brothel, worked as a prostitute in 1930, and was eventually imprisoned for a short time for solicitation.

In the late 1930’s Holliday was recording for Columbia where she recorded a song called “strange fruit” a song on a harrowing portrayal of the lynching black man in America’s south. The song brings back memories of America’s past the courage and heroism of those who fought for racial justice and the interplay of race, labor, and the popular culture that would give rise to the civil rights movement.

Lyrics In songs


As you know words are stronger than actions but if words were spoken everyday and everyone knows them than you have an army but not with guns but words. There were lots of African American artist in the time with something to say but because of their colour they could not speaker so than they thought for a while and they thought they can sing it. Louis Armstrong song “What Did I Do To Be So Black And Blue” is talking about how he is black on the outside but white on the inside so he appears black but is white. The song “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cook is about him knowing that after the hell is over white people will treat black people with respect and we will live in peace and harmony.